I was stunned. It wasn’t because of the beauty of several dozen stickers — far from it. They did, however, lead me to think some things over. Admittedly, the stickers on my ceiling are not noteworthy, meaningful parts of my life. But somehow they got me to question my actions and the motives behind them. How often do I run around with all my energy focused on the task at hand, missing the “insignificant,” beautiful things in my quest to do something important? Am I trying to get to the end of a lesson and keep the class from an off-topic discussion, or did I just miss a chance to share the love of God with a child in a Sunday school? Am I so focused on trying to succeed in life that I forget to live it? I often find myself doing the same thing in prayer. In my rush to get to the “good stuff” — God’s ministry to me — I skip a vital part: the praise and worship. It seems less important to my silly mind, and yet so often praise is where I find strength, healing and hope.

It’s all too familiar; the beautiful sunset becomes nothing more than glare on the windshield. We miss the grandeur of the forest because of a few sticky pine cones. Our lives are so crowded with imperative nothings. In a misguided society where we face a constant onslaught of illusory importance, we all need to step back, look up, and remember what truly matters in the end.

Psalms 119:37 “Turn my eyes from looking at worthless things; and give me life in your ways.”

What has caused you to take note of the truly important things lately? Are there worthless things you’ve left behind? How do you tell the difference?